FAQs

What do you love about your job? 

We get tremendous satisfaction out of helping people work toward achieving their financial goals and dreams. We find that many people want to do the right thing for themselves and their families, they just need the right help and guidance. It feels great to help people in the right way.

What services do you provide for your clients? 

We offer investment management and ongoing financial advice. We can assist with saving for retirement, college savings, estate planning, insurance or other needs.

What is your investment philosophy? 

We believe in taking the time to assess your circumstances, investing in the market utilizing mostly mutual funds for diversification and for long term growth. We believe you should work with professionals who are available to answer questions and walk with you down the path toward a goal of financial independence.

How do you get paid? 

It depends on your financial situation. In our initial discussion, we can figure out what payment style applies to you. Typically, I charge an ongoing management fee based on the assets we manage for you. 

How will you measure and evaluate my investment performance? 

It’s important to focus on the big picture, concentrating on the entire portfolio not just the performance of one fund. There are times where one kind of fund does great and other does not perform as well, and that can change at any time. We’ll measure your performance adjusted for your long-term goals, market trends and risk tolerance level. Your rate of return will vary greatly over time, and while rate of return is important it is not the only important factor.

Can you tell me why the last two clients left you? 

We have very little “turnover”, and clients have not stated that they have left us due to service or communication issues. The most common reason is that their circumstances have changed substantially. In those rare cases we part on good terms and offer to help again in the future if warranted. 

How much money do I need to retire? (Depends on lifestyle, goals, interests, income)

We get this question the most. Our answer is always “It depends..” Everyone’s situation is different – some people may have a pension, rental property income, some plan to live an extravagant life in retirement and some want to stay home with grandchildren. It is important to have a financial advisor that can review and analyze your specific situation and give you personalized recommendations that can help you reach your goals!

What does it mean to be a CFP® professional?

Becoming a CFP® professional is a difficult and stringent process. It requires years of experience, successful completion of standardized exams, a demonstration of ethics, and a formal education. The most important aspect quality of a CFP® professional is that they have a fiduciary duty, meaning they must make decisions with their client's best interests in mind. We’d love to speak with you more about the CFP® certification if you have questions! https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cfp.asp

I’ve never had an advisor. What do you do/how can you help?

As a financial advisor, we help our clients with a wide range of services. We primarily help our clients with the investment management of their portfolio, retirement and financial planning, college savings, and much more. We like to look at things holistically, and make sure you have the tools you need to achieve your goals.

What is the benefit of contributing to a Roth account?

Making Roth contributions is a great tool for all ages, especially young people. When you contribute to a Roth account, you are making an after-tax contribution. This type of account allows your contributions to be invested in the market and grow tax-free, so when you go to take out money in retirement, you won’t have to worry about the taxes. There are income and contribution limitations with this type of account. If you have any questions, please reach out to us!

Should I invest every month or all at once?

You cannot time the market. This is probably something you have heard in the past. It is a very important principle when it comes to investing. We believe you should invest how you feel comfortable, because of market fluctuations, there is no “better” way. However, if you have excess money monthly, it is a good idea to “dollar-cost average” into the market. If you invest every month, you may buy in at lower prices as the market fluctuates. This means some months you may buy in at higher points.

How much should I be investing?

Again, this depends on your situation. Do you have debt currently? (Yes, debt includes your car loan and student loan). If so, maybe you should think about paying down those debts first. Once you’re debt free besides your home, we believe investing 15% of your household income is a good rule of thumb and place to start.

What is the best way to pay down debt?

There are several ways and methods out there to strategize paying down debt. One we have found is most helpful is the debt snowball method. Here are some simple steps in getting started –

• List debts from smallest to largest

• Make minimum payments on all debts except for the smallest one

• Put as much on the smallest one as you can

• Repeat until all debt is paid

When it comes to debt, we believe psychology plays a big part. Paying off the smallest debt and then going to the next one keeps the momentum and motivation going.

Should I consider a Roth conversion?

Maybe! There are several factors to consider when determining if you should do a Roth conversion, these include – your current household income, the amount you want to convert, tax rates now and in the future. There is some assuming when it comes to Roth conversion planning, we’d be happy to review it for you to see if it might make sense!